


First Response

by Sarahsaveme



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Reapers, Angst, Drugs, F/M, First Meetings, Gangs, Parental Death, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-01-06 00:38:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12200490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarahsaveme/pseuds/Sarahsaveme
Summary: *will update tags as story develops*Jane Shepard is the lead paramedic for an EMS team on the Kithoi ward. One night, she and her team respond to a call involving teenagers being shot in an alleyway. Upon reaching the scene, it's obvious to her that this wasn't your average drug-deal-gone-wrong. But before she can get to the only surviving victim, she sees the cop she knew would get eventually get in her way.*I do not own any characters/content created by Bioware (obviously) but the original characters and story are mine





	1. Nightcall

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for clicking! This is my first attempt at a fic, and I'm so excited/nervous to be contributing to this amazing fandom that I feel so privileged to be a part of. That being said, any comments, kudos, etc. are hugely appreciated to let me know if people are interested in this story (it's not fun to write if no one seems to like it!). Again, thank you! I hope you enjoy this ride.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane Shepard and her EMS team respond to a call involving human teenagers being killed during a drug deal. Upon arriving, she meets a cop who seems hell bent on getting in her way.

Shepard knew this would happen one day, and of course it was on one of the worst calls her team had gotten in awhile. Four teenage humans had been shot in what appeared to be a drug-deal-gone-wrong in an alleyway behind the Taralos Amphitheatre in the Kithoi ward of the Citadel. When she and her team arrived on the scene in their ambulance, she saw him. That damn turian cop with the blue colony markings was trying to get a statement, or some sort of useful information, from one of the victims. Somehow, one of those poor kids was still alive, but unless Shepard could convince this cop that taking statements from dead people was difficult, the rest of her team would have to pack up and head back to dispatch empty handed while she called the morgue.

As she approached, she swallowed her initial frustrations and began assessing the kid. _Approximately sixteen years of age. Male. Head wound. Gunshot to the arm – severe bleeding - but hopefully it missed the artery. Several contusions around the wrists. Possible fracture of the left leg judging by that angle._ Shepard shuddered. The three other kids lay motionless in dark pools nearby. Whatever had happened here tonight was certainly beyond what they had anticipated.

“Officer, I need you to move,” she stated.

“Can you tell me anything about the men who attacked you and your friends? Anything? You can even point me in the direction that they left...” The cop never even looked at her, his whole attention bearing into the kid laying on the ground, urgency coloring his tone.

The kid’s eyes began to glaze over. If Shepard couldn’t take all four of these kids to the hospital, then she damn sure wasn’t taking all four to the morgue. “Ok. You’re done.” She squatted down by the much taller cop and used her strength and lower center of gravity to knock him out of her way in one swift shove and squarely onto his ass. Turians may be better fighters, but humans had the physics advantage in these moments.

She threw on a pair of gloves, whipped out the flashlight from the bag on her shoulder, and shined the light into the kid’s eyes. “Hey pal. Are you with me?” She turned his face to get a better look at the head wound. “Can you tell me your name?” His eyes slowly began to follow the light.

“What the hell was that?!” the cop blurted out beside her, mandibles flaring in disbelief.

“Shut up. I asked this kid a question,” she snapped back. He looked pissed but remained silent.

“Drake. It’s Drake,” the kid whispered, barely able to speak.

Shepard motioned for her crew to grab the gurney. “Well Drake, I’m Shepard. My team is going to take you to the hospital, ok? Can you move at all?” The kid grimaced, shaking his head with what little strength he had. “Well that’s ok. My team is going to bandage and load you up. You’re going to be ok, you got that?” He looked at her and nodded.  
Shepard moved out of the way as Ashley, Kaiden, and Liara came up and began applying bandages and tourniquets to stop the bleeding on the kid’s head and arm. Once satisfied with the brace on his leg, Ashley and Kaiden gingerly began moving Drake to the gurney and headed back to the ambulance, leaving Liara behind. Her team never talked much once they had a patient on their hands. Liara strode up beside Shepard. “Do you want to go back with the others or stay and make the call?”

Shepard wanted to be with the kid. She hated the drug violence and tried to knock some sense into kids whenever she and her team had to pick them up, but she shook her head. “No. I’ll make the call this time.”

“Well then we are leaving immediately. He may be stable, but only barely. I’ll see you back at dispatch.” The asari squeezed Shepard’s shoulder with a half-smile pulling at the corners of her blue lips then jogged away joining the rest of the team.

Truthfully, neither she nor Liara liked being the one that stayed behind. The call always took longer than it should, the paperwork was extensive, and just dealing with the emotional toll was never fun. She ran her hands through her thick red hair in frustration. It was going to be a long night.

Shepard looked at the now-standing cop. With Drake gone and in the care of her very capable team, her anger boiled to the surface. “You know, I get it. I do, I really do. But are you serious? You know, I just knew you’d piss me off one day, but I never guessed that it would be in this way. A kid? Possibly dying? You wanted a statement? Listen, pal. I know you give a shit about your job. I’ve responded to scenes you’ve been on before. It’s obvious you care, but do you really think badgering a kid who needs immediate medical attention for some half-assed statement will actually help?”

The turian’s mandibles clicked against his face at the unexpected reprimand. He stood up taller, his hands clasping behind his back. “I know he needed attention, but you saw what happened. What if by the time that kid is ready to talk his assailants have already killed some other kids? It’s my job to get the bad guys and put them away. I was doing my job of protecting these citizens-“

“-and my job is to not let them die, which you seemed hell bent on letting happen!” Shepard interjected, standing face to face with the turian, her green eyes boring furious holes into his electric blues.

He took a step back and looked towards the ground. “I was trying to….whatever. You’re right, I was in the way. But screw it. This is a damn terrible scene. Who wins in a moment like this? Three kids are dead, and Spirits only know where the bad guys ran off to…” he trailed off, looking towards the sky for answers, frustration apparent on his face. He sighed. “I’ll let you make the call. We will be here for a while.” He began to turn around and walk away.

“I don’t need permission to do my job,” she called after him. He shot an annoyed glance over his shoulder. Shepard wasn’t an asshole, but knowing that the kids weren’t going home to their parents killed her. It wasn’t his fault that these kids died, but he was going to be on the receiving end of her anger tonight, anyway.

She stomped over to where her bag was still laying, sent the location for the pickup, and took a deep breath. _We saved one. There was nothing we could do for the others. It may be a loss, but we didn’t lose._ Her reassuring thoughts echoed in her head. You needed thick skin to run an ambulance team on the Citadel, but that didn’t mean you were heartless. She silently hoped she never lost the anger that fueled her to always do better.

Making her way back to where the turian stood, she was suddenly unsure of how to begin a conversation that didn’t involve her yelling at him. He seemed busy with his own data pad. _No one in the public sector escapes the crushing weight of paperwork._ “Well, like you said, we will be here a while. You can call me Shepard.” It was a start.

He straightened up. “Garrus Vakarian,” he sighed. “Shepard, huh? Not heard that name before.”

“To be fair, it’s my last name, but it’s what everyone calls me,” Shepard said while pulling up her own paperwork on the data pad she had in her bag.

“So you’re first name is –“

“Jane,” she answered quickly. _Odd, most people don’t care to ask._ She returned to her data pad, filling out preliminary paperwork and getting the three bodies ready for pick up. Garrus kept himself busy marking off the area as a crime scene and placing calls to C-SEC about the incident.

The stress of this night weighed heavily on her. It was different than other runs that involved picking up kids who got in way over their heads. Something just wasn’t adding up. She noticed the other three had injuries that would’ve killed them in minutes - seconds, even. Why was Drake spared? He was beat up pretty badly, sure, but nothing was life-ending. Shepard feared is was purposeful – a warning. But of what? She tried to silence her thoughts as she zipped the too-still kids into bags. Once the car came, the victims were tagged, loaded up, and sent off. She closed her eyes. _Too young to go like that._

As she was about to leave she stopped and turned to her new acquaintance. She began hesitantly. “Earlier I said I could tell you cared because we’ve worked scenes together before. I meant that. I know this scene was nothing but shit and our only real saving grace was the fact that it seems like the attackers chose to leave one kid alive, but you know what? If you are half as good at finding assholes like this as you are at pissing me off, you’ll get them.” She offered her hand, and he grasped it in acceptance.

“Thank you, Jane. I appreciate that.” He took a deep breath. “Maybe we’ll run into each other again soon. I just hope I don’t underestimate your ability to knock people twice your size out of the way next time. I don’t think my pride could take it,” he said, clearly annoyed but possibly bemused.

She chuckled. “We will see.” She released his hand and began her walk back towards dispatch. She needed the time to clear her mind before she tackled the stack of paperwork that awaited her for the last few hours of her shift, and a skycar would only make that stack a reality all too quickly. She took a deep breath. _It may have been a shit night, but at least I didn’t have to face it alone._


	2. Out of the Frying Pan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liara and Shepard have the team over for dinner after another particularly trying day. While eating, Kaiden brings up the peculiarity of the calls they've been receiving, and Joker let's everyone in on a little secret he heard from a certain cop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the amount of time it's taken me to get this chapter out. THANK YOU to everyone who has left comments and kudos so far. Since this is my first attempt at writing, it's so encouraging to see that people are interested in this story!

Liara swiped her omni-tool by the lock to her and Shepard’s apartment, and Shepard stepped through the opening door with her friend following closely behind her. Located just a few blocks away from dispatch, their small two-bedroom home wasn’t spacious, but it was enough. Being on call for 24 hours at a time at the dispatch made it easy to be appreciative of their little home. It provided a place to sleep and bathe, a couch to watch extranetflix, and a kitchen for Liara to cook in. Shepard trudged over to the couch and collapsed as Liara made her way to the kitchen.

“What’ll it be tonight, Shepard? If you wanted, I could run down to the grocery and buy the few things we’d need for Italian. I know it’s your favorite.” The asari cast a warm smile over her shoulder as she began gathering ingredients from the cabinet.

Shepard was grateful that her best friend was not only her coworker and roommate but was also a very skilled cook. She was jealous of the time asari had to delve into whatever subjects they pleased, but this acquired skill of her friend had rather tasty benefits. “Italian sounds great. I want to drown myself in pasta and garlic bread,” she said with her arm draped over her eyes. It had been a rough day, and she appreciated Liara’s willingness to help make it suck just a little bit less.

“Then Italian it is. I won’t be gone long. We just need ricotta and basil.”

“Didn’t you have basil growing in the window?”

Liara made a frown towards their kitchen window. “I did, until I forgot about it. I don’t exactly have that ‘green thumb’ you seem to have.”

Shepard chuckled to herself. She made a mental note to try and restart the herb garden for her dear friend the next time she went by the store. “Well don’t feel too bad. I may be able to grow it, but I sure as hell don’t know what to do with it. Do you need any credits?”

The asari shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I’ll be back in a half hour.” And with that, she left with the door swishing closed behind her.

Shepard drummed her fingers on her stomach. _Should I?_ She peeked at her terminal from beneath the arm covering her eyes. _Surely nothing has been reported yet…_

Jumping up from the couch, she dashed into her room grabbing the OSD and small datapad from under her mattress. As she approached the terminal, she began scanning the news on the datapad. “Two Teens Murdered in Tuesday Terror” _Bingo._

Shepard moved her search to the terminal. Their last call today had been for another group of human teenagers killed in cold blood with only one surviving the assault. It had been the fifth call like this since her run in with Garrus two months ago, and Shepard had been saving all the related news articles to an OSD for safe keeping. Something in her gut kept telling her that something just wasn’t right, but she didn’t want to worry her friend with her obsession, so she kept her musings under wraps. Liara was worried enough about the toll these human-centric calls were having on their crew, and she didn’t need the added weight of knowing Shepard was deeply entrenched in her own investigation.

Once she had the article saved to the disk, she closed down the terminal and returned to the couch. She mused over the headlines from the past few months. “Murder of Kithoi Kids”. That had been the first of the bunch - the one where Drake was the only survivor. “Drug Deal Deals Death”, “Three Humans Die in Drug Deal”, she looked away. In the six total calls she had responded to, only two kids had lived. It hurt her to see young life get ripped away so senselessly. Shepard could be accused of caring too much, and she wouldn’t be the one to say that was inaccurate. No matter the person, it always touched her heart - that’s why she chose this career.

These calls had left a particularly heavy weight on her heart and her mind. _It’s always only humans._ The groups only consisting of one species was rather irregular. This was the Citadel. All the Milky Way races interacted quite freely here, so seeing a group of only humans was a tad odd. Not only that, but it kept happening over and over again. None of the news articles ever mentioned the previous scenes, but Shepard could see the little red lines connecting them in her head even if she didn't know where they led. She rose from the couch and returned her OSD and datapad to her room. As she came back into the living room, Liara was returning from her trip carrying a small bag and a big smile.

“Are you ready to have the best Italian food you’ve ever put in your mouth?”

“Better than that lasagna you made last month? Liara, I’ll kiss you if whatever you make tonight is better. But, of course, I’m always ready to eat anything you make.” Shepard leaned on the counter to dip her face into the bag to smell the fresh basil. She took in a deep breath through her nose and sighed.

“Could you not breath your germs all over the herbs? Also, you look positively ridiculous with your face completely encompassed by that paper bag,” Liara chastised as she pushed Shepard out of the way. “Go sit at the counter and talk to me while I make dinner, and put that cookie back in the jar.” She never even looked over her shoulder.

Shepard grunted her annoyance and replace the cookie she was holding just above the mouth of the jar. _How does she always know?_ She crossed her arms as she took a seat at the counter. Clairvoyance may not be an attribute people associated with the asari, but Shepard damn well associated it with Liara. _Or at least another set of eyes in the back of her head..._

“So what’s on the menu? I’m starving, and since I’m not allowed to eat,” she shot a pointed glance at her beloved cookie jar, “you may as well tell me what we’re having so I can start getting excited.”

“Stuffed shells in marinara sauce with garlic bread and salad. If you’d like, we can call the team over. There will be plenty of food, and we hardly ever eat a real meal together. I know Joker loves Italian almost as much as you do,” Liara said with a smile as she began chopping the herbs.

Shepard smiled at the suggestion. It would be nice to have everyone over after this day, and she secretly hoped someone in the team would bring up the eerie coincidences between theses calls they’d been getting lately. She gave Liara a nod and pulled up her omni-tool to send out the invitation. Within a few minutes, Ashley, Kaiden, and Joker had all responded with ample enthusiasm. No one could resist a meal cooked by their favorite asari team member.

She and Liara chatted as the meal was prepared, and Shepard smiled to herself as she watched her dear friend cook. Before Liara had become a healthcare professional, she had had a stint in a very upscale restaurant on the Presidium. It was evident to see that she had enjoyed her time there in the way she effortlessly cut vegetables, grated cheese, and filled the little pasta shells. She never cooked with a frown.

Before too long, Shepard’s omni-tool pinged letting her know that their guests were at the door, and she swiped her hand across the interface to let them in. In usual fashion, all three arrived together. Ashley, Joker, and Kaiden entered the cozy apartment in the middle of a heated debate about biotiball.

“Kaiden, I don’t care if Kaiya T’Sena’s out for three games. She’s the backbone of the Sorcerers and she’ll carry them to the playoffs just like she does every year.”

“Ok you two. While listening to you spout your uninformed opinions about who will win the tournament this year is always riveting, I’m much more intrigued by the smell coming from the kitchen.” Ashley glided over to Liara, eyes glistening with excitement. “Have I ever told you how much I love you? Because it’s a lot.” She squeezed the asari around the shoulders in a hug. Liara looked toward her friend and chuckled as she shook her head. “Do you need any help? We both know Shepard can only burn water, and the boys are too busy talking about sports.” Liara nodded knowing Ashley, as usual, was going to be the best bet for any assistance.

Shepard shrugged her shoulders and threw her hands up defensively. “Hey, I may not be able to cook, but _someone_ let the herb garden die, again.”

Joker took a seat beside her. “Shepard, you and I know these city folk don’t know anything about growing something other than their egos. I’ll go with you to the store to buy more seeds and get it started. Also, Liara, dinner smells great. A growing boy needs to eat,” he said while placing his hand on his stomach, giving it a few pats.

Liara sat the skillet down on the stove and turned to him with a wicked smile on her lips. “The last time I checked, Joker, the only direction you’re growing is out.”

That elicited a round of laughter from the group as Joker frowned and rubbed his stomach. “Hey. You don’t get to be the driver for the best EMS team on the Citadel by being a wimp. I gotta stay in shape, and whether that shape is round or something else is irrelevant.”

“Everyone grab a seat at the table. I’ll start passing out plates,” Ashley called while still giggling.

Shepard got up and moved to the small, rectangular table positioned behind her. Sitting down at the head of the table, she smiled at the scene around her. She was thankful for her little family. In a matter of minutes, they had almost made her forget about the troubles of this day. Almost.

Kaiden was helping Ashley set the table. The two always worked well together in nearly everything they did, and Shepard credited it to their sibling-like friendship that had began when their team first formed. Kaiden placed a bright red plate in front of Shepard. “A red plate for the red lady,” he smirked. His nickname for Shepard wasn’t all that creative, so he made sure to emphasize it whenever he had the chance. Shepard didn’t mind. Most of the nicknames she had received in life centered around the fiery color of her hair, and it made her smile at how Kaiden would go out of his way to bring it up.

Liara began moving large, food-filled dishes to the table with a satisfied grin. Joker turned to Shepard and nudged her with a knowing smile. Liara had made quite the large portion of garlic bread knowing that the two of them would inevitably try and eat more than the other. It happened every time.

Once the table was finally set, everyone took their seats. “Shepard, I think it’s your turn,” Ashley said.

Everyone grabbed hands and looked towards her. She began with a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips. “Today I’m thankful that we got to send one kid back home to their family. I’m thankful for my friends - my family. I’m thankful for this damn fine meal that Liara made, and I’m thankful to have the best damn EMS team on the Citadel.” Everybody mumbled their agreements and began to shovel food onto their plates. Ashley had suggested this ‘family meal’ tradition the first time they all ate together. They all subscribed to different religious ideals, so they took turns letting one person name what had made them thankful that day. The team really bought into it, and it was nice to start their meals in such a reflective way.

Joker’s eyes crossed as he took the first bite of his stuffed shells. “Damn. I think I’d be happy to die after eating tonight. No food will taste this good ever again. It’s impossible.” Everyone agreed that tonight’s dinner was especially amazing.

Liara nodded while swallowing a bite of food before replying. “Well after another particularly trying day, I figured we all needed a good meal.”

Kaiden sat down his fork and picked up his napkin to wipe his mouth. “Speaking of which, has anyone been keeping up with the news?” Shepard’s heart skipped a beat, but she kept eating. “I feel like the media is missing something, here. I can’t be the only one thinking that this stuff is related, right?”

“Oh they're definitely missing something. No article ever mentions the magnificence of my driving skills to get these people back to the hospital in time. And to answer your real question, it’s definitely related. I may have, uh, accidentally acquired some information about these calls we’ve been on lately,” Joker added sheepishly.

“Well out with it, Joker. It’s been on all of our minds. Might as well let us in on this little secret of yours.” Ashley’s casual tone was being betrayed by the brightness of her eyes.

Joker rolled his shoulders and leaned in toward the table. “You remember that cop you told me about with the stick up his ass from the first weird call? I think I met him at a bar a few days ago. I’m assuming it’s him, unless Shepard is knocking other turian’s on their asses.”

“He was in my -”

“Yeah yeah he was in the way, I know. But we were shooting the shit while playing pool and we got to talking about what we did on the Citadel, and once he figured out I was your driver he nearly turned blue with embarrassment. Anyway, I bought him a few drinks to make up for your social ineptness, and pretty soon we’re talking about that call.”

Shepard was on the edge of her seat listening to Joker’s story. Her mind was racing faster than her heart was beating.

“Once they got that kid stabilized, Vakarian went in to take a statement. And, get this, that kid had no idea who the other kids were. They had all been asked to meet there separately. They didn’t know each other, but they were all there for the dealer. Crazy, right?”

Shepard clenched her fists under the table. _I knew something was up._ “So a bunch of kids are called to one spot for a deal, but no dealer shows up? Sounds like a set up.”

“That’s what Vakarian’s thinking, too, and he thinks all these other weird calls had the same thing happen. He’s managing those cases, so I bet he’ll be going to visit that kid we took to the hospital today as soon as she’s stable and can have visitors.” Joker resumed eating with a smug look on his face. He knew he had just dealt out the best gossip that would be discussed today, and he loved it.

Everyone began discussing this new information, but Shepard was consumed with her own thoughts. All of her instincts had told her that these calls had been anything but ordinary, and now she had the proof. But what could she do? Her job was to take care of the aftermath, not to stop the people doing these crimes. Regardless, she knew how she’d be spending her next two days off: staking out the hospital to see if a certain cop who did have the power to do something would pay a visit to their most recent patient.


	3. Just a Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garrus has a run-in with Shepard while trying to check in on the latest victim of another attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is following this! I'll try to keep to a weekly posting from here on out.

Garrus checked the time on his omni-tool as he made his approach towards the hospital.  He figured 20 hours would be enough time for the latest victim to be patched up and stabilized so he could get a statement from her.  It had been roughly two months since the first incident, and he wasn’t going to miss his chance to talk to this kid.  She was only going to be the second victim he would have the chance to talk to, and he planned on making the most of it.  Lately, information had been hard to come by due to the lack of surviving victims, which was making this case rather difficult.  Garrus knew he  couldn’t present a case that was built off of one person’s statement and a hunch, so this was the opportunity he’d been looking for.  This girl would either throw these cases into full gear or bring them to a grinding halt.

He entered the hospital and made his way to the front desk. Flashing his C-SEC badge, he asked for the room number of the newest victim,  Audriana Lankaster.  As the clerk began her search for the answer to his question, the familiar face of one of Garrus’ friends appeared around the corner.

“Garrus! Good to see you. Did I hear correctly that you’re here for the human girl EMS brought in last night?” Dr. Michel asked in her pleasing accent.  “You should know better than to come so soon.  She was badly wounded, and it will be a few days before she is ready to speak with you.”

Garrus reached out to shake her hand.  “It’s good to see you as well, Dr. Michel.  I was hoping she’d be well enough to visit with today.  The case involving her is time sensitive, and I’d like to speak with her as soon as possible.  Is she on your floor?” 

The doctor nodded and said “She is. I can notify you when she’s ready to speak, if you would like.”

Garrus gave her a smile and thanked her. He was disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to talk to the girl today, but a well-rested statement was better than a drug-filled one any day.  Turning to leave, he waved goodbye and made his way back out into the busy streets.  Thoughts of how to approach these complicated series of cases filled his head and he began heading back towards the precinct.  Being distracted with his thoughts, he rounded the corner of the hospital and ran into someone, nearly knocking himself onto the ground. 

“Hey, now. It’s no fun if you fall on your own.” Shepard’s mischievous green eyes stared up at him as his mandibles flared out in surprise. 

He had an annoyed look on his face. “It seems I can’t stay on my feet around you, and whether it’s your fault or mine doesn’t seem to matter.  Sorry for running into you, but I must be going.  It was, uh, good to see you, Jane.” He began heading back in his intended direction, not wanting to be stopped by the paramedic who had embarrassed him when he had pressing cases to work on.

Shepard jogged up beside him, determined not to be brushed off so easily.  She grinned as she internally congratulated herself on correctly guessing that he wouldn’t be able to stay away from the hospital the day after the first victim he’d be able to speak to in months was brought in.  She kept pace and asked “I heard you had a great time at the bar with my driver the other day.  Something about all these calls we’ve gotten lately? I’d love to hear more.”

Garrus rolled his eyes - a habit he had picked up from the humans he worked with in C-SEC - and started walking more quickly.  He knew better than to discuss ongoing cases, and he had been careless at the bar when he had talked to Joker.  It would be ill advised to make the same mistake twice, so he pressed his mandibles against his face and kept quiet as he continued to quickened his pace.

Without warning, Shepard jumped in front of him and put her hands up in an attempt to stop him.  He cocked his hip to the side and crossed his arms.  This woman would be the death of him, and he had only directly interacted with her twice. 

“Hear me out.  I’m not an idiot. I started putting pieces together before Joker ever said anything, and his confirmation is why I’m here today.  If there is a way EMS can help, then I want to facilitate that.  Not just my unit, but the whole ward.  I can help coordinate that, but it means you’ll have to stop looking at me like I’m the most annoying person you’ve ever met.” Shepard mirrored Garrus’ stance in defiance of his stare.

He was impressed with her ability to read the expressions of another species so effortlessly, but he was more impressed by her offer to help - no matter how ridiculous is was.  How could EMS help an investigation?  At most, they preserved the ability of an officer to gather intel.  He looked towards the ground, then met her eyes. “As much as I appreciate your offer, I’m afraid there isn’t much I can do with it.”

Shepard looked behind her, gauging the distance to the station. It wasn’t far.  “What if you let me talk to your captain? At least let me get turned down by your boss.” Her eyes were begging for some sort of ground.  She knew she could help if someone would just give her the chance.  

He let out a long sigh.  “Fine, but he won’t tell you anything different than what I have,” Garrus said as he started walking again at a normal pace.  It was now obvious that this fire-haired woman would not be leaving him alone today.

“Thank you. I appreciate it,” she said, biting her lip to try and hide her smile.

If Shepard was going to get information out of this guy, it would help if she started convincing him that she wasn’t the raging asshole she had previously made herself out to be.  She would need to start being more friendly.  “So… How long have you been stationed in the wards?”  A safe get-to-know-you question, albeit cliche. 

He chuckled to himself before replying. “Two years.  Does that surprise you?”

She shook her head as she caught his eyes.  He was idealistic, determined, and hard-headed. It didn’t surprise her at all.  

“What about you? You appear to be quite the skilled paramedic, but you’re not that old.”

She turned away from his question.  Not many people caught on that she was on the young side for what she did, and his observation made her uncomfortable.  His perceptiveness was impeccable.  “I’ve only been with my team for a little over a year now.  They’re the best of the best.” She tried to answer his question as lightly as possible.  He didn’t need to know the intimate details of her or her team.

With that, they found themselves walking through the front doors of the precinct.  Shepard wracked her brain.  Would Captain Chellick know how to handle ‘meeting’ her?  Would he address her by her formal title?  Did she need to be prepared to steer the conversation away from who she really was?  She silently hoped for the best as Garrus led her to the back office.  As she entered the room, the captain’s face lit up.  _ Shit. _

“I wasn’t expecting a visit from you today D-”

“From one of your best detectives?  Well he is actually humoring me, Captain.  I work for EMS. Jane Shepard,” she said, interrupting the man with a very pointed stare as she extended her hand.

A look passed between them as he shook her hand and began.  “Ah, I see.  Captain Chellick.  What can I do for you today Ms. Shepard?”  His face turned from friendly to professional in the blink of an eye.

Garrus took a seat and gestured for her to do the same.  If he had noticed the peculiarity of the exchange, he didn’t lead on. 

“Judging by the news, my team has responded to several, if not all, of the human-only attacks that have occurred over the past few months here in the ward.  It doesn’t take a genius to speculate that they’re related, and the lack of eye-witnesses has no doubt made assembling a case difficult.  I would like to coordinate the ward’s EMS teams to better respond to these calls.  I know your men need more information, and, quite frankly, my team and I are tired of calling the morgue.”  She presented the beginnings of her idea as calmly as possible. Her stomach was in knots from the Captain almost letting slip some rather classified information about her and her team.

Garrus and Chellick exchanged a glance before the captain began.  “What exactly do you propose EMS does to aide us?  And who would execute this coordination between C-SEC and EMS?”

Shepard took a deep breath.  She knew her idea was going to be a stretch, but she believed in it.  “I would assume that the locations of these crimes are not unique.  I have personally responded to these locations before for similar calls.  They’re popular areas for people who want to conduct business just out of the public eye.  Having individual EMS teams stationed near these locations instead of at our dispatch center would reduce their response times, giving them the extra minutes to provide life-saving treatment to the wounded.  This will, hopefully, increase the number of people your men have to gather intel from.” 

The captain tilted his head as he pondered her suggestion.  “You still haven’t answered who would be leading this initiative.  You’re suggesting a cooperative effort that would need to be built from the ground up, and that will take great effort.”

A small smile crept up at the edges of Shepard’s mouth.  “I would be glad to take on the responsibility of overseeing this joint project while continuing to aide my team, assuming the executor and my supervisor agree. ”

Garrus stared at her with an amused look on his face.  Even he thought it wasn’t a bad idea.  Shepard knew they were desperate for more witnesses, and she was offering them a chance to get just that. 

“Well, Ms. Shepard, I do see the merit in your suggestions.  I will speak to the ward’s EMS supervisor about this and pass it on to the executor, as well.  What would EMS need to execute this properly?” He said as he leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms.

She explained how they would need heightened communications between the dispatchers and C-SEC to give the teams the most time possible to get to the scenes.  That was an agreeable and logical request.  Her next request, she feared, would be met with much hesitation, but she pushed on.

“The ward’s supervisor and myself would need to be kept up-to-date with the cases. We would need full access to all information to properly predict what kind of attention may be needed, supplies and personnel required, possible dangers, and how many teams need to be deployed to the most commonly hit locations.  We all know that what has been happening is anything but normal, and I believe it is calling for an extraordinary joint effort between our departments.”  She finished with her arms crossed and her head held high.  If more people were going to survive these attacks, then C-SEC and EMS needed to work together seamlessly.  She knew it was a lot to ask, but she knew it was the only logical path to take.

Garrus’ mandibles were slack.  It wasn’t every day someone came in and asked for full access to an ongoing investigation.  “Captain, allowing two people into the cases who have no police training could seriously jeopardize our work.  Are you actually considering this?” he asked incredulously.  

Shepard withered at his comments.  She knew she had no right to ask for this, but what else was she to do?  People were dying before medics could even get to the scenes, and she needed to know what they were up against if she was going to properly coordinate these efforts.  At the end of the day, she just wanted to send more kids back home.

The captain rose from his seat and extended his hand towards Shepard. “Ms. Shepard, you’re asking for a lot, but I will talk with the Executor and your supervisor.  Thank you for coming and speaking with me before taking this to your supervisor.  This has the potential to do a lot of good, but there is much that needs to be considered, especially regarding the access to information.  I appreciate your offer to help.” His mandibles rose in a smile as he released her hand.

Shepard returned the smile and thanked the captain for his time.  As she moved past Garrus, he followed her out into the lobby.  Right as the door to the captain’s office closed, she stopped and threw her fist into the air.

“Ok, first of all, what the hell are you doing?” Garrus asked with his head in the palm of his hand.

Shepard lowered her fist and turned to him with blush coloring her cheeks.  “It’s a very outdated human vid reference.  It’s Called ‘The Breakfast Club’.  I highly recommend it.”  He shook his head and made his way past her and out the front doors in a huff.  She caught up to him and grabbed his arm, and he turned to face her.  “You and I are on the same team, and maybe we should both start acting like it.” She let out a long sigh.  “Listen, I’m sorry I’ve been a real ass towards you, but I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you taking me to speak with the captain.  I’m just as concerned about these people as you are, and I think you know that.”  She stared up at him with pleading eyes.  She needed his trust and cooperation if this was going to work.  

His shoulders lowered as he let out a long breath.  “You’re right.  I’m sorry I’ve been short with you, but your idea may turn out to be the break we’re looking for.  Thank you for bringing it up to the captain.  Your compassion for these citizens is refreshing, and I believe working with you will be beneficial.”

She smiled at his compliment. _ Maybe this will go better than I had hoped. _ She decided to try and see if she could get away with a joke to lighten the mood.  “If our units are working together, maybe you should inform your C-SEC buddies that you’ve gotten your ass kicked by me before.”

He locked his gaze with hers in an intense stare. “I’ll gladly tell them as I cuff you and bring you in for assaulting an officer and impeding an investigation,” he retorted.  

Shepard’s jaw dropped.  There was no way she was going to let some uppity cop haul her to jail after she had just suggested one of the largest cooperative efforts between C-SEC and EMS in recent history. But just as she was about to tell him exactly where she thought he could shove his handcuffs, his facade broke.

His laughter was deep and rich, and it rumbled straight through her body.  “Oh, Jane. I believe we can call ourselves equal now.  The look on your face more than makes up for you besting me.” His face was twisted into a smirk.  

Shepard couldn’t believe that her plan had backfired so spectacularly but was pleased to see that it was possible for the two of them to have a friendly conversation.  Their first encounter had been so full of anger, and she hoped they continued to build a better rapport.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and continued.  “Thank you for, quite literally, running into me today, Jane.  I have a feeling we will be running into each other, again, quite soon.”

She beamed up at him and voiced her agreement.  As she cast her goodbyes over her shoulder as she walked away, she saw him standing in the same spot watching her leave, shaking his head with a small smile. 

 


	4. Wounds Take Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard goes to the hospital to accompany Garrus and Chellick to their first meeting with the latest victim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the positive feedback on this story! I appreciate all comments and kudos and love getting feedback/criticisms. 
> 
> Now that she has an actual account, I want to thank my beta, Cataniana, for helping me be a better writer. I couldn't do this without you.

Shepard gripped her data pad to her chest as she entered the hospital just a week after meeting with the captain. Whenever she was in her work clothes with her trauma bag thrown over her shoulder, she felt like she could take on any situation.  There was a certain comfort in having all the supplies needed to save a life resting by her side.  

Captain Chellick had sent her a message requesting her presence when he and Garrus went to talk to the girl she and her team saved the previous week, and she was more than eager to agree to come.  The gears were moving, and she was beginning to think that her crazy suggestion was being seriously considered.  The only way she would be legally cleared to see this patient was either by her asking specifically for Shepard to come along, which was unlikely, or Shepard was being considered part of the investigation now - whether or not she had been informed of that decision.  Either way, she was excited.  She checked her omni-tool for the time and saw she was running a bit early.  As she weaved through the large hospital, she decided to make a quick stop and say hello to one of her favorite doctors and mentors: Dr. Karin Chakwas.

As she made her approach to the trauma ward, she poked her head into the older woman’s office.  The doctor was hard at work catching up on the troublingly large stack of files beside her terminal while answering a vidcall.  Shepard leaned against the doorway and watched the older woman work.

“I don’t give a damn if the patient think’s he’s ready to leave.  He can either listen to me and be better in a few days or leave AMA and without a prescription.”  Shepard hung her head and chuckled at the doctor’s bluntness.  Karin was known for being tough as nails when she needed to be, and apparently she was not above holding someone’s pain pills hostage to get them to comply. The doctor turned around, hearing the young woman behind her laughing at her comments. She closed the call and rose to give Shepard a tender hug. With her hands on Shepard’s arms, she pushed her back and gave her a once-over. “Well you don’t seem to be in need of my care. To what do I owe the pleasure today, my dear?” 

“I’m on my way up to accompany the district’s police chief and one of his detectives to take their first statements from a patient I brought in last week.  I thought I’d stop in and say hello since I’m ahead of schedule.” Shepard plopped down in a chair and unceremoniously dropped her bag onto the floor.  Karin always had the comfiest chairs in her office.

They chatted about their recent endeavors for a few minutes before the doctor sat down across from Shepard and grabbed her hands.  The older woman had strong, rough hands that had seen better days, but they were the hands of someone who had given their life to serving others.  Shepard’s were callused from her own work, and she admired the similarities.  Karin’s wise eyes looked up to Shepard.  “We miss you here, you know.  If you ever wanted to come back, they would take you in an instant.”

Shepard let out a long sigh.  She knew the crew at the hospital missed her, but she felt more helpful out in the wards.  She gently rubbed a thumb across the older woman’s hand and offered a small smile.  “I know, Karin, and you know I’m right where I need to be.” She stood up with the doctor following suit. 

With a final tight squeeze around the shoulders, the doctor nodded her head.  “I know, but do come by more often.  At least let me make you dinner sometime soon.  You can bring the whole crew, even, but do tell Joker he’ll need to be on his best behavior if he doesn’t want me bothering him about staying on top of his medicines.”

Shepard laughed and agreed to be better at staying in touch as she grabbed her bag and headed back out into the hallways.  She was glad she had caught the doctor if only for a few minutes.

She made her way down the final passageway to the pediatric patient rooms. Checking in with the nurse’s station, she began looking for the room.   _ 601...602...There. 603. _  She took a steadying breath and pushed the call button, requesting admittance.  As the door slid open, she saw the girl she and her team had rescued just last week.  

The young girl looked much better than the last time Shepard had seen her.  Straight, ash blonde hair was haphazardly thrown up in a messy bun with a thin black bow holding it all in place, breaking all known laws of hair physics.  The artificial light from the Citadel streamed in from the windows onto pale, freckled skin that was still discolored with yellows and greens from the physical trauma she had previously received. Still, her icy blue eyes were clear as she turned to Shepard. 

“I was told I’m expecting three people today.  I’m Audriana, but you probably already know that.”  She straightened herself up with her good arm and pushed a button to raise the bed to a more seated position.  The girl closed her eyes and let out a sigh.  Her body was recovering from several deep lacerations and a broken humerus. She looked tired, and Shepard couldn’t blame her.  

Making her way over to the window, Shepard grabbed a chair and pulled it up beside the girl’s bed.  “It’s nice to meet you under less stressful circumstances, Audriana.  I’m Shepard.  I was on the EMS team that brought you into the hospital.  I’m glad to see you’re doing better.” Shepard’s eyes did a sweep up and down the girl’s body.  She was, in fact, recovering well, but she could see in Audriana’s face that the emotional trauma would take much longer to heal. “Are your parents going to be here today?”  The girl looked out the window and shook her head.  Ever the professional, Shepard sat her bag on the floor beside her and pulled on a pair of gloves.  “The nurses said I can chart your vitals for this hour, if you’re ok with that.” 

The girl met her with a blank expression, but nodded.  Shepard picked up the data pad from the end the bed and began entering the information already displayed on the screen beside the bed.   _ Normal respirations, blood pressure is a tad lower than expected, temperature is normal, and heart rate is good.   _ She sat the pad down and made her way to the girl to check her dressings.  Medigel was such a blessing, because most of the cuts were almost healed.  A chill ran down her spine.  Her mind ran back to when she had slathered most of this girl’s body in medigel in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding from the deep, parallel cuts that had raked her body to shreds.  Shepard straightened up, threw away her gloves, and picked up the data pad again.  “Last thing.  What’s your pain level?”

Audriana shrugged her shoulders and winced.  “I’m usually ok.  Just some soreness, but most of the pain comes from the bruises and cuts.  I wish they’d heal…” She trailed off and looked out the window, eyes ever bright but her expression was clouded.

Shepard made her way back over to the chair and picked up her bag, moving to set it on the bedside table.  “Well, luckily for you, I have something that accelerates the healing of bruises in my bag.  Don’t tell anyone though, because I’m not supposed to administer anything to you.”  

The girl’s expression twisted in curiosity and excitement at Shepard’s comments, and she was quickly laughing as she caught a plain, yellow banana in her hands.  She continued to giggle as she peeled the outside away and began to munch on the fruit.  Her eyes closed as a satisfied grin spread across her face.  She met Shepard’s smirk and thanked her for the snack between mouthfuls of food.  This girl had been through too much for being so young, and Shepard was happy to give up her secret stash to put a smile on the girl’s face.  Besides, bananas did help with bruising and muscle aches. 

The two sat in companionable silence for a few minutes as Audriana finished her banana before another call came in.  Audriana pushed a button on her bedside remote, allowing whomever was at the door entry.  Unsurprisingly, the captain and detective walked in.

Shepard stood up to greet the two men, noting that the low ceilings of the hospital made the younger turian look much taller than she remembered.  She shook their hands then returned to her seat where her data pad awaited.  She intended to take her own notes from this meeting, even if the partnership between EMS and C-SEC never happened.  Information was information, and she wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to help the teams be better prepared for extreme situations.  

Garrus and Chellick introduced themselves to the young human as she finished her snack and threw the peel towards the trashcan opposite her bed, missing horribly.  Garrus chuckled as it landed on the captain’s boot and stooped down to pick it up and placed it in the bin.  The girl apologized for her poor aim, but they both waived her off.

The captain leaned against the wall and let his energetic detective get to work.  Garrus pulled up a chair alongside Shepard and began to speak to the girl.  “How are you feeling today? I hope we didn’t schedule this at a bad time.”  His eyes were soft as he spoke.  These were the questions someone asked only if they really cared, and Shepard couldn’t help but smile.  This man was more than some cop who wanted to make the next big bust and climb the ranks.  

The girl smiled at him and let him know she was doing fine and felt like she could talk for a while.  This seemed to please him, so he followed up with his next question.  “Before we talk about what happened last week, I want to know more about you.  Give me a get-to-know-you, if you would.” 

Shepard pulled up her data pad to take notes, and the young girl inhaled deeply through her nose and let out a slow breath. “Well, my name is Audriana Lankaster.  I’m 16 years old, and I’ve lived on the upper part of the Kithoi ward most of my life.  I was born on a colony, but I don’t remember anything from that time.  Both of my parents were researchers for ExoGeni, but now they’re on the board of directors.  I’m an only child, and I rarely see my parents.” She wrung her hands together.  “They came here the first few days, but I haven’t seen them the last few.  I guess they’re just busy, as usual…” She trailed off, again, lost in thought.  

It hurt Shepard to hear that this bright young woman had parents that didn’t seem to care that she had almost died.  Kids of well-off parents seemingly were given free reign on the Citadel with the pretence of ‘what could possibly happen’,  but never realizing that there were many dark and dangerous places hidden just out of plain sight.

Garrus reached out and placed his large, alien hand on top of Audriana’s small, petite ones and offered her a reassuring smile.  He, too, could see that this wasn’t easy for her to talk about, but she pressed on.  “Last week, I was running low on, well, uh…”

“Audriana, you will not be slapped with any sort of drug possession charges.  We’re here to help and protect you and others.  You can be honest with me, and I need you to do that so we can stop these attacks,” Garrus interrupted.  She held his gaze, then shook her head in understanding.

“Well, I was almost out of red sand.  My dealer was out, so I scanned some extranet channels for any hits.  One guy seemed to be selling way under the normal value, so I scheduled a pick up.” She wrapped her arms around her stomach as if she were sick but continued.  “When I got there, there were other kids waiting, too.  But none of us were there for the same thing.  I didn’t even know who they were.  One was there for MX3, another for a big dose of hallex...you get the picture. Not even a few minutes after I got there I...I…” The poor girl’s eyes were filling with hot tears, her body shaking, her hands fisting in the bed sheets.

Shepard saw the telltale signs of a post traumatic episode about to explode as the girl’s eyes glazed over, so she jumped from her seat and grabbed the girl’s hands.  She leaned in to catch Audriana’s attention.  “Hey. We’re here in the hospital.  Can you feel me holding your hands?”  The girl’s wet eyes darted back and forth across the room, but she nodded vigorously.  Shepard was mentally checking off ways to bring the traumatized girl back down from the dark rollercoaster ride her mind was taking her on.  It was heartbreaking, and the two officers were standing out of the way with their heads lowered in shared sorrow over what this girl had been through. 

Shepard kept going.  “Look at me, Audriana.  There are two police officers here with you.  They will protect you.  I’m here, holding your hands.  I will protect you.  You’re safe here.” The girl seemed to be responding, her crying less erratic and her eyes steadying, but her breathing was still labored and quick.

“Let’s try breathing together. Can you follow me? Take a deep breath in through the nose  _ hhhhhhHHHH _ , and push it all out through the mouth  _ HHHHHHaaaaa _ .”  Shepard repeated the mantra over and over, bringing the girl back into the present as she followed her breathing.  Within a few minutes, Audriana had calmed down.

“I’m sorry-”

“Sweetheart, don’t apologize.  You’ve been through a lot.  Do you want to keep talking?  I’ll sit right here, and you can hold my hand, if that’ll help,” Shepard said while giving the girl a reassuring smile.

The young woman took Shepard’s hand and hesitantly began again.  “Out of nowhere, gunshots started landing all around us.  Some were hitting others.  I got hit, and the force knocked me down onto the ground.  I decided to stay there, hoping it would end. I watched about fifteen other kids fall down, too.  They all looked dead.  The gunmen got closer, finishing off the last of us, and then…” She closed her eyes tightly, but continued.  “Then someone from the shadows came out, looking over all of us.  He seemed satisfied, until he saw me.  He pushed me onto my back with his foot then said ‘You missed one.’” She pulled the collar of her gown down to show the tops of some of the deep, parallel cuts.  “He took one swipe with both of his hands, crushed my arm with hit boot, then left me to die.  He told his men to grab as many bodies as they could and to leave as quickly as possible.  That’s all I remember before I blacked out.”  She finished her story with her hands gripping Shepard’s for dear life like she was reliving the horror all over again, and Shepard feared the girl wouldn’t be free from this pain for a long time.  

Garrus had been taking furious notes on his data pad as she had spoken, no doubt compiling a list of questions.  He started asking her a few clarifying ones before he dove into his more pressing ones.  “So you didn’t previously know any other people that were there?  Not even in passing?” She shook her head, and his brow plates furrowed as he made more notes.

“My next question may be difficult to answer, I’m afraid.  Can you describe your attacker?  The man who cut you?”  He sat his datapad down and moved closer to her bed.

She closed her eyes, but her expression made it appear like she was looking for something.  “He was a turian.  He had really long fringe on the side of his face and almost glowy blue eyes, but that’s all I remember.” 

Garrus and the captain exchange a charged look before he continued.  “Is there anything else you remember from that night?” 

“I’m afraid that’s all.  Everything is already hazy, and I don’t like to think about it very much.”  She offered Garrus a sad smile as he reached out and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. 

“Thank you so much for talking to us.  Please don’t hesitate to call if you remember anything else. In fact..” he flicked his fingers across his omni-tool interface.  “Now you can contact me directly.  You can call me anytime - day or night - for anything, even if it’s just to talk until you feel better.  Just promise me you’ll lay off the sand?”

She looked up and gave him a genuine smile.  “I promise.”

Shepard was touched by his genuine kindness towards this girl.  It just reaffirmed her beliefs that Garrus was a good man who maybe cared too much - not to dissimilar to herself.  She stood up, grabbed her bag,  and gave the girl a pat on the shoulder as she said her goodbyes.  She made her way out of the room, and before she was too far down the hallway the captain and detective had caught up to her.

“Ms. Shepard, I can’t speak for you since I am not your supervisor, but I suggest you clear your schedule for tomorrow,” the captain said.

“For what reason?  My team is on call tomorrow.  I need to be there.”

“I’m not at liberty to say, but you might want to inform them that they will need to have preparations to operate without you,” he replied as he turned down a different hallway, presumably towards a different exit.

Shepard stopped in the middle of the hallway in confusion.   _ What is he trying to tell me? _  Garrus seemed confused, too.

“Well, Jane.  It seems like we may be seeing each other quite soon, although I’m not sure under what circumstances, to be honest.” 

She gave a shrug of her shoulders and threw up her hands.  “I’m not sure, either.  But I want to thank you for being so gentle with Audriana.  Most cops get rough with people who are having episodes, and you did more than was required.  Your kindness is, well, just..thank you.”  She bit her lip as a thought came to her.   _ Should I?   _ She quickly threw her arms around the much taller turian in a hug and let go as soon as it had began.  

Stunned was putting it lightly.  Garrus looked like he had been shot, but his expression slowly turned into a warm smile.  “Thank you, Jane.  She’s been through a lot, and if taking her out for, uh, what is that frozen dessert humans love so much?”

“Ice cream.”

“Yes! That! Anyway, if taking her out for ice cream to make her feel a little bit better is what it takes, then I think I can spare the time and credits,” he said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.  “I’ll be seeing you soon, I’m sure.  But for now, I have to get back to the station. Goodbye, Jane.” And with that, he walked away.

Jane smiled to herself.  She was glad her impulsive action had been well received considering she didn’t think of herself and Garrus to be friends.  This had been an interesting day, and by the sounds of it, tomorrow would be a full day, too.  She pulled up her omni-tool and sent a message to her teammates.  No doubt, Liara would have several questions for her when she arrived home this evening.  


	5. Welcome to the Initiative

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard is called to a meeting with the ward's officials to discuss new plans and dangerous information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: if you've ever lost someone to illness, some parts of this chapter may be difficult to read. 
> 
> Thank you, and welcome back! This chapter gives a little insight to Shepard's life and I hope you all enjoy! As always, kudos and comments are super appreciated.

Shepard sat anxiously, bouncing her legs and consequently rattling the go bag in her lap.  Although the words the captain had said to her yesterday bounced around in her head, she felt a certain responsibility towards her team.  While she awaited a supposed call to summon her to meet with the captain and presumably others, she wanted to be prepared for any runs she and her team may be called on, and that meant being ready with her bag of supplies.

Liara crossed the small waiting area within the dispatch center to pull her friend out of her thoughts.  “Shepard, it’s not necessary for you to be suited up.  We can make it without you for a day, so stop looking so anxious,” the asari said while placing her delicate hand on Shepard’s shoulder.  “If they listened to you, then everything will be ok.”  

A long breath escaped Shepard allowing the tension in her shoulders to relax.  Liara was right.  If the higher-ups actually took to heart the idea of a joint operation, then they would see not only the benefit but the desperate need.  She ran her hands through her thick hair and smiled up at her friend.  Just as she was about to thank her, her omni-tool pinged with a high priority message.  The two women exchanged a look as the rest of their team quickly made their way over towards the couch.   

Ashley took a seat beside Shepard as the men stood behind her, crowding in so they could all read the message at the same time.  Shepard inwardly thanked the universe for pushing such amazing people into her life so she could either be shot down or called up in the presence of friends.  She steadied herself as she opened the message.

_ Shepard: _

_ I am requesting your presence at a meeting including myself, Director P’Teri, Executor Pallin, Captain Chellick, Lieutenant Vakarian, the two surviving victims of recent attacks, and others.  Please arrive at the district’s main precinct within the hour.   _

_ Yaewin Umali _

_ Kithoi Ward EMS Supervisor _

Kaiden slapped Shepard on the back as everyone let out a victorious cheer.  This was happening! The answer to all their sleepless nights and broken spirits was in motion.  The ward would, hopefully, soon be free of this terror.  Shepard jumped up and began thrusting her arms back in forth while sliding her feet across the floor as her crew laughed at her own wild celebration.

“By the Goddess, Shepard! What are you doing?” Liara questioned between fits of laughter at her friend’s odd reaction to such great news.

Shepard threw Liara a wink and confidently replied, “It’s called ‘the running man’, Liara.  It’s an ancient dance that portrays victory.”  Joker wiped a tear from his eye and informed Liara that it was actually just a hip-hop dance move from a highly nostalgic period in human history and also noted that if his legs were better, he would show her how to properly execute such a maneuver.  

As everyone settled down from their leader’s outburst and the good news, they gave their words of encouragement as she grabbed her bag and began to make her way towards the exit.  Ashley questioned the need for bringing the bag, but Shepard simply smiled back and continued on her way.   _ Always ready for anything, that’s why.   _ She pushed open the double doors with both hands and threw a proud smirk at her favorite dispatcher sitting at the front desk, Tali’Zorah. 

The quarian visibly perked up in an unspoken question to which Shepard replied with a fist bump that transitioned into a spirited wiggling of fingers.  Before Shepard could walk out, Tali called out to her in her thick accent.  “Shepard?” She began, gaining the hurried woman’s attention.  “Good luck, and congratulations.”  Her glowing eyes narrowed in what Shepard knew would be a side effect from the large smile her colleague no doubt was wearing. 

Shepard began her march towards the district’s main precinct - which was a good bit away but not so far that she couldn’t walk.  As the weight of her previous concerns began to lift, they were replaced with the newfound weight of the immense responsibility she was taking on.  She held such love for the people of this space station, and she couldn’t bear the thought of things getting worse.  Her heart tightened in her chest at the thought of all the families that had been ruined in just the past few months.  Countless questions of ‘How could this happen?’ ‘Who is responsible?’ ‘What is being done?’ had no doubt been leveled at C-SEC recently.  Even though Shepard didn’t have to be the one receiving this onslaught, she still felt partly responsible.  She gave her heart and soul wholeheartedly to the good fight, even if admittedly for selfish reasons.

As she made her walk through the ward towards the precinct, she reflected on what had brought her to this moment.  Truly, it had all began when she was quite young - no more than 12 years old.  Memories of her father swarmed her thoughts with a wave of emotions following closely behind.  She gripped the strap of her bag for support.  God, did she miss her father.  

With a sad smile pulling at the corners of her lips, she allowed herself to think of those final days with her father for the first time in a long time.  His weakened body lying in the hospital bed that had been brought into their home, the strange softness of his hands, the peculiar yellow tint his skin had slowly acquired over a course of several months...All of these things that had so radically changed the image of her father, but nothing could change his spirit.  Even as he lay dying, he would tell jokes to get a smile or laugh out of his beloved daughter.  Shepard remembered how helpless she felt - how helpless her mother felt - watching her father slip into a coma and pass a few days later.  The pain was indescribable, but the relief of not having to watch her father suffer anymore comforted her in a strange way.  

The helplessness she felt through the whole ordeal was her inspiration for joining the medical field.  She wanted to help the helpless - prevent others from feeling that unbearable and enduring pain like she did even until this very day.  She looked up towards the artificial skies and smiled with her eyes gently closed.   _ Dad would be proud of the progress I’ve made, and he’d be proud of the work I’m starting today. _

A single, bittersweet tear escaped her eye as she continued the remainder of her trek.  She gathered herself and rounded the final corner towards the precinct.  This part of the ward was more crowded, and she took joy in observing all the people around her.  The diversity, to her, was beautiful.  To think so many different people could exist relatively peacefully together was a testament to the amazingness of life, and she was proud to be a servant to the public.

Shepard was pulled out of her introspective state as she entered the ward’s main precinct through its large doors and made her way to the check in desk.  She showed the petite asari receptionist her EMS badge and was given a set of directions to a conference room towards the top of the building, which she was grateful for.  She’d never been in this place before, and she was impressed with how many people were busy at work.   _ No sleep for the wicked or for those who chase them.   _ She eventually found the elevator she was looking for and hesitantly pressed the button for the 11th floor.  She sighed with relief when the elevator began moving at a reasonable pace.  Some elevators on the Citadel still hadn’t been upgraded from the models that took an entire day cycle to move its passengers a single floor.  

The doors opened to her floor, and she was taken aback by the beauty.  Most of this floor’s walls were glass, so it gave a breathtaking view of Kithoi.  It was easy to see where she needed to go next as she spotted the ward supervisor, whom she quite liked, and other familiar faces not more than a few rooms away.  Heat creeped up her neck in a self-conscious wave as she saw how professional everyone looked in their C-SEC blues or suits, and here she was in her heavy-duty scrubs.  She brushed it off knowing that with the amount of time she was given to arrive, everyone expected her to look fresh off the clock.  Besides, she was a professional, and this was how a paramedic looked.  

Supervisor Yaewin was the first person to notice her approach and excused herself from her conversation with the Executor to greet Shepard.  The older salarian woman grasped Shepard’s hands between her own in a warm welcome.  Much like the many people who had spent time in emergency medicine, the supervisor carried the stresses of her job in the many wrinkles around her large eyes.  “Thank you for coming today, Shepard.  I’m very excited about the future of the people in this ward, thanks to you.”  Her eyes shined brightly with lightly veiled enthusiasm as she ushered Shepard further into the room.

“I know you’re already well acquainted with the captain and lieutenant, so I’d like to introduce you to the Director of Emergency Medical Services for the Citadel, Dr. Eilea P’Teri, the Executor of Citadel Security, Venari Pallin, and to our guests, Audriana Lankaster, whom you’ve met, and Drake Cho,” the salarian said, pushing Shepard along the line of people in front of her.  Shepard noticed the young pair she had helped save, and took special interest in Drake.  She hadn’t seen him since that fateful night, and he was quite the handsome young man.  Dark hair and eyes framed his olive complexion in such a flattering way that it likely gave reason to the light blush coloring Audriana’s cheeks. Moving down the line, Shepard gladly shook hands with everyone before greeting the few she already knew.  Once all the introductions were finished, Executor Pallin informed everyone to take a seat around the large table near the back of the room.

Shepard looked for a place to sit, and there weren’t many choices since several seats were already taken by other officers and clerical-looking C-SEC employees who were waiting with stacks of data pads.  Mercifully, Garrus waived her over to the seat next to him.  She shimmied her way around the large table and gave him a ‘thank you’ as she took her seat and shoved her bag underneath.  

“Are you going to be demonstrating proper first aid techniques for us, Jane?” he questioned with a smirk.  Shepard rolled her eyes at his jeer as she situated herself.  Garrus was slowly working his way into her good graces, but for now it was more fun to brush him off than to retaliate.  Before he could make another remark, Audriana and Drake were seated on the other side of him.  

Drake had recovered well from his injuries since Shepard had last seen him, and Audriana looked no different than the previous day except for normal clothing and being in a wheelchair.  The girl, no doubt, was still exhausted from her injuries. Noticing their presence, Garrus grabbed a small bag from beneath his chair and took out two yellow objects.  “Audriana, I recall you enjoying this when we first came to visit yesterday.  I figured you could use a snack to get you through this meeting, and I brought one for you, too, Drake.”  The two teenagers smiled in earnest as they took the bananas Garrus had to offer, happy to have something so simple but so generous.  Shepard watched in amazement at his gesture as he once again proved he was better than your average cop.

The Executor and Director called everyone’s attention to the front of the room as soon as everyone had settled.  The Director nodded towards the Executor, allowing him to begin.  “Thank you all for attending today on such short notice.  We have much to discuss, so I won’t begin with any usual introductions and pleasantries.  Everyone here is aware of the series of cases where young humans have been attacked while attempting to purchase illicit substances on the ward.  However, what several of you may be not be aware of is the fact that this is not special, meaning this is occurring all over the Citadel.”  Several small gasps were heard throughout the room, but Shepard’s heart slammed into her chest.   _ Oh God, no. _

“The time frames are consistent - this has only been happening the past two months, and as far as we are aware, the execution of these attacks are all the same.  Of all the reported cases, we have only had two total survivors, both of whom were cared for by Ms. Shepard’s team here on Kithoi,” the Executor stated while gesturing to Shepard.

“Executor, how many total cases, and how many total deaths?” an officer interjected.  

The Executor glanced at the Director before answering.  “We have 23 ongoing investigations and 71 total deaths related to said investigations with most occurring in Kithoi.”  

No one spoke.  The weight of this news held in the air as everyone tried to piece together what they had just heard. Shepard couldn’t even think straight, her grief so tangible in the sudden shift from cautious hope to terror that it caused a tightness in her throat.  Garrus sat beside her in stunned, angry silence.  The Executor continued.  “Please hold all questions until the end.”

“It is clear that there is a trend; we have a consistent timeline, method, and victim.  This has led to a belief that they are racially motivated, and we have seen zero evidence to suggest otherwise.  Only humans, ages 12 to 20, have been targeted.  Preliminary investigations had begun to slow with the sheer lack of any leads on who may be behind these crimes until we received the statements from Miss Lankaster and Mr. Cho.  Particularly, Miss Lankaster’s statement is the key to why we are taking severe action starting today.”

Shepard caught the girl’s eye and gave her a smile as she reached out and squeezed her hand, her smile being returned between sad bites of banana.

“The statement included a description of what sounds to be the leader of these attacks, and I am now asking for all possible recording devices to be turned off, as this is highly classified and unconfirmed,” the Executor said, lowering his voice.  A few people pulled up their omni-tools while the rest waited for the request to be fulfilled.  The Executor began hesitantly.  “There is not yet enough evidence to present this to the council for further action, but the description of Miss Lankaster’s attacker matches with the council’s esteemed Spectre, Saren Arterius.”  After a moment’s pause, the room erupted in utter chaos. 

“Executor how are we to equip our officers -” “This must be taken to the council immediately!” “Spectre activity is locked -” “How are we to protect the -” “Why hasn’t something been done before-”

“ENOUGH!” Shepard shouted, suddenly very aware that she was 1) standing and 2) yelling at a room full of people who were much more important than she was.  Again, silence fell as Shepard’s command reverberated around the glass room.  Trying to salvage the moment, she straightened her top before saying, “We all have questions, but the Executor has already asked that they be held.  Please resume, Executor.”  She began to sit down with the heat from her cheeks burning with embarrassment at her outburst.  This seemed to knock Garrus out of his stupor since he found it in him to nudge her sides, eyebrow plates raised.  She merely pursed her lips and gave a shrug of her shoulders.  She had acted before her brain even began to register what was happening. Besides, the supervisor would smooth over any feathers Shepard may have rustled after the meeting was over.  As everyone resumed sitting, the Executor gave Shepard an appreciative nod.  At least he didn’t seem too angry with her actions. 

The Executor acknowledged the clerical agents in the room in a silent instruction to distribute materials.  “Any accusations leveled against Spectres must be fully fleshed out before presenting to the council.  This investigation is not yet to that point, but all personnel involved should be aware of the risks C-SEC is now associating with the case.  The investigation is now being turned over to those here in this room as it requires joint efforts with the wards and additionally, EMS.  With that, I will turn over to Director P’Teri.”

Shepard was caught up in looking over the major headings in the datapad she had just received that she barely noticed the change in speaker.  Details of all the attacks were aligned in chronological order and charted over the wards.  This was even bigger than she feared.  She sat it down, determined to look through it later, and turned her attention back to the front of the room.

The Director silently thanked the Executor and garnered the attention of the room.  “For those of you who may be unaware, I am Director Eilea P’Teri, and I am the head of all EMs activity here.  One of our paramedics, Jane Shepard, whom you all have already heard from today,” she cast a sideways glance towards Shepard, “recognized the need for better preparing teams to respond to these attacks.  For this case, select EMS personnel will receive access to the investigation to plan temporary dispatch points to common criminal areas in the wards.  These people will also receive specific training from C-SEC in the areas of combat and information handling over the next week.  More citizens must survive these incidents if we are to garner information, and having shorter response times may be key.  Because we are going against an unknown enemy, combat training will equip teams with heightened security in the rare case of a revisit to the crime scenes.  The lead detective in each district will coordinate with each corresponding EMS liaison for cross training and data sharing for their particular district.  Each person involved must upload to our private network daily regarding your activities and data gathered.”

“Time is of the essence.  The longer we do not have someone nailed to the board for these crimes, the more people will die.  Further details for this joint effort are laid out in your datapads including who your C-SEC or EMS partner is.  Please meet with these people, schedule training time, and find out who the fuck is behind this.” She slammed her fist into her hand, anger painting her face into ugly shapes. 

Several people began to rise to go ask questions, but Shepard remained seated.  Her chest was tight with grief and her head dizzy with the overwhelming news that today had brought.  So many people, and possibly at the hands of a Spectre?  At best, she was a medium sized fish in the middle of an ocean.  How could she help take down a shark?  The swirling vortex of terror ebbed as Garrus placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Jane, this is all possible because of you.  Don’t worry about the end, but focus on the now.”  He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he turned his attention to the younger persons sitting beside him.  “Am I correct in understanding that both of you have been assigned a security guard until the case is settled?”

Drake wrung his hands nervously as he looked behind himself.  “Yes, we have.  Is it really necessary? How would they know we’re even alive?” His dark eyes were asking the question he couldn’t bring himself to say.

Garrus hung his head and sighed.  “We can’t be sure of anything, I’m afraid.  However, we sure as hell aren’t going to take any chances.  You two have been through enough, and we can spare a few officers to make sure you’re always safe.”

The pair nodded in understanding.  Jane agreed.  These kids didn’t need any more trauma in their lives.  It was best to offer them protection until whatever threat that existed was eliminated.  Drake stood to help wheel Audriana out of the room as they said their goodbyes to the kind officer and medic.  As they made their way out of sight with a small group of officers trailing them, Shepard smiled knowing she played a small part in their being here today. 

Garrus stood and extended his hand to Shepard, grasped her smaller one and hauled her up.  His smiled was filled with gratitude as his gaze swept the room.  “Well, Shepard.  It appears that you might’ve come up with a plan that’ll save the Citadel.  What’s more, I believe I’ll be your new boss.” 

Shepard returned a crooked smile to her new partner, grateful for the lighthearted joke after so much crushing news in such a short amount of time.  “Clearly you’ve not read through your files.  This is a partnership.  It specifically states that anyone knocked on their ass is disallowed from being said person’s superior,” she jeered as she released his hand.  Suddenly she felt embarrassed at how wrong her initial estimate of this man had been.  Truly, they weren’t all that different.  They both pursued the betterment of others with every ounce of drive their bodies harbored, and that sometimes meant that they stepped on other’s toes.  “I just want to say that I think working together on this will be more than beneficial, but I feel like it’s a privilege to work with someone so dedicated.  So thank you for not holding my bad attitude against me.  The best I can do is promise to be less annoying in the future.”

“Jane,” he chuckled, “the pleasure is mine.  Here’s my extranet address.  We need to get you trained as soon as possible.  There are people out there counting on us, and like the Director said, time isn’t a luxury we have.  Let me know when you’ve finished reading your files, and we can set up meeting times,” he said as he flicked his long fingers across his omni-tool.  

Shepard agreed to do so and informed him that he very well may hear from her tonight, and he didn’t seem too surprised.  Both of them were determined to put a stop to this madness, so their eagerness was shared.  After confirming that she had received Garrus’ contact information, she gathered her things and said her goodbyes to her superiors before setting a course for home.  Knowledge was power, and by the looks of her datapad, this was going to be some heavy lifting.  


	6. Guns Don't Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard begins her first day of training for the joint program.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Finals are coming up and my planner looks like a nightmare :) As always, kudos and comments mean the world to me (especially during these next stressful weeks!)

The annoying incessance of Shepard’s alarm did nothing to change her opinion of how this day could go.  With a heavy hand, she silenced the infernal box and rolled out of her blanket-covered bed.  She slipped on her casual clothes on pulled her hair back roughly into a lazy ponytail.  Glancing at the clock, she noted that she had plenty of time to have some breakfast before she made her way to the district’s station for her first day of training.

It was awfully early and the lights of the apartment were still off, so she made her way quietly to the kitchen so as not to disturb Liara.  The pantry was full of their favorite quick-breakfast favorites, but Shepard reached for her favorite unhealthy variety of over-processed pastries, Popsmarts. As she was unwrapping the foil package with a childish grin on her face, Liara appeared over her shoulder shaking her head.

“Honestly, Shepard.  Your first day training and you’re skipping out on a full breakfast? I don’t think so,” Liara chastised as she yanked the packaging out of her hands.  Before Shepard could protest, Liara was sweeping around the kitchen grabbing ingredients and a pan.  Eggs, spinach, cheese, spices, and some sort of Asari meat was quickly layered into the skillet in the beginnings of one of Liara’s famous omelets.

Shepard placed her favorite cup under the coffee maker and sat at the counter as she watched her friend.  “First day of training, my ass.  For me, it’s all a formality.  The Director is doing me a favor by making me train like everyone else, and you know it.  I just hope nobody finds out.”  She glumly looked at her hands as she awaited her food.

Liara placed the half-full cup in front of Shepard with a bottle of creamer and patted her hands before returning to the skillet.  Shepard smiled as she poured her creamer in.  Black coffee was overrated and tasted like shit, and anyone who said otherwise was a damn liar in her book.  The smooth porcelain of her cup felt warm as she slid her hands gingerly around the surface and lifted it to her lips to take a sip of the hot liquid.  It was an old heirloom from her childhood that she cherished deeply, and it gave her a little hope that today might not be so bad.  

As she sat her cup down, Liara sat beside her with a plate full of omelet for the each of them.  The asari wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze.  “Eat up.  There’s no reason anyone would know.  It’s not pertinent to the case, so the Director wouldn’t have said anything, and if she had you would’ve been told.  Just finish up these few days, and you won’t have to worry about it again for a while.”  She released her her shoulders and began eating.  Liara was right, Shepard thought, so she greedily picked up her fork as she dove into her meal.  Worrying wasn’t going to fix anything, anyway.

Scraping the last bits of egg from her plate, she placed her dishes in the sink and vehemently thanked Liara for the food as she grabbed a light jacket and headed out of the apartment and into the streets of the ward.  At this time in the day cycle, most people were at home instead of milling about.  Shepard enjoyed this quieter side of the Citadel she got to see on rare occasion.  To her, quietness meant peace, and peace was priceless.  

Her trip to the station didn’t take long, and she breezed through the door a few minutes earlier than she and Garrus had discussed.  Being early was a learned habit that she never seemed to shake, but being late wasn’t really an option in her career so she had learned to love the habit.  The young attendant at the front desk had stopped his work to acknowledge Shepard’s entrance and inquired if he could assist her.  She briefly informed him she was here to meet with Detective Vakarian to complete some training courses, and gave her identification for his record keeping.  The young man smiled and recorded her presence before storing her belongs for safe keeping while she was in the station.  

Shepard wasn’t left to her own devices for an extensive amount of time.  No more than a few minutes later, Garrus strolled in looking casual and carrying himself with a certain air of confidence.  Shepard wouldn’t admit it to herself, but he was pretty attractive when he wasn’t being a pain in the ass.

“Jane!” he said, making his way to where she sat, “I figured you’d be here early.  We will go ahead and get the combat training out of the way first, and I imagine that’ll take the longest.  Information handling should be rather easy since you work in medicine.  Truthfully, I don’t know why it’s part of your training at all.  Seems like a waste of time, but I’m not the one in charge, am I?” Shepard noticed him roll his eyes - a habit he had picked up from his human coworkers, no doubt - at his last question.  He may not have been surprised at her timeliness, and she wasn’t surprised that he didn’t seem to  like having to follow orders.  They were slowly beginning to understand one another.  _ Good. _

Shepard leaned back, crossing her arms and offering a grin.  “I’ll agree with your assessment, and I doubt combat will take that long, but knows?” 

Garrus mirrored her pose and gave her a wicked smile.  Obviously, his ego was on full display.  “Don’t get your hopes up, Jane.  I’m the best shot in the Citadel, and I don’t want you to think you can develop such skill in just a day.”

She blew a strand of hair out her face and rolled her eyes.   _ Smug asshole. _ She rose to follow him out of the lobby and into the deeper parts of the station, asking questions about the rooms they were passing along the way.  Most were office space for officers assigned to cases that required a little more thinking room than a cubicle had to offer.  Finally they arrive to a section that looked a little more like the hallway of a gym than the hallway of a police station, and Garrus informed her that this is where all their training took place.  A shooting range, spacious weight room, and classroom were tucked neatly into this final corner of the district’s station, and it would be Jane’s home for the next few days while she covered all the material the Executor and Director deemed necessary for this operation.  

Opening the door to the range, Garrus ushered her in to begin the first phase of training: weapons.  A large, long safe was mounted on the wall opposite the door they entered, and Garrus wasted no time in opening a locker with his initials on it.  Pulling out three cases, he laid them on the bench attached to the wall adjacent to them and began opening the cases.  Shepard easily identified the Karpov pistol, Avenger assault rifle, and Black Widow sniper rifle - all guns she was comfortable with.  Garrus picked up the pistol first, wiping off any grime with a cloth before brandishing it to Shepard.  “Ever handled a gun before?” 

Before she realized, a sad smile crossed her features as the familiar weight of the pistol settled into her hands.  She chuckled to herself.   _ Have I ever handled a gun…. _

As she reluctantly set up the target and established her stance and grip, Garrus leaned against the wall with an amused look on his face.  “I guess that’s a ‘yes’.”  Shepard took a deep breath as she wrestled with the demons battling inside of her.  Lying wouldn’t be helpful, but she wasn’t prepared to open chapters of her life story she had closed long ago, buried in pages of guilt she wished not to remember.  Honesty won out so she looked down the sights, took a test shot, moved her aim a hair to the left, and put a shot into the bullseye of the target.  Looking over her shoulder, she caught Garrus’s mandibles going slack in shock.  It appeared that he wasn’t expecting her to be  _ that _ good, and after all this time, neither was she.

Shepard returned her attention to the target and took a deep breath and looked down her sights again.  She began squeezing the trigger quickly, popping shots into a neat cluster in the center of the target before her heatsink was spent.  She released the clip and coolly slid another one in before replicating her results.  Satisfied with herself, she turned to Garrus to see how dumbstruck he must look, but the expression on his face was unreadable. 

He approached her cautiously and looked down the range at the target she had just massacred.  His brow plates knit together in deep thought before speaking.  “How did you learn to shoot like that?”

She blushed at his sudden intrusion of her space and thoughts.  Once she began her task, it was like putting a skycar on autopilot.  Years of training had ingrained these skills in her so deeply that not even time spent away from a weapon could weaken them.  She was afraid of what his reaction to the truth would be, but he had no right to hear of her shortcomings this early in their partnership.  Perhaps one day, but not today.

“Uh…,” she glanced around the room wondering if the thermostat was broken or if she was  exponentially embarrassed at the situation she had willingly walked into. She settled on telling only a little bit of the truth in a show of good faith, if only to herself.  “Both of my parents were Alliance officers.  They had me training since I was young.  I guess you never forget some things…” She trailed off, hoping his mind would fill in any perceived gaps in her explanation.  By the look on his face, he wasn’t entirely satisfied with her response but let it go.

He grabbed the pistol from the table and packed it away while casting a long glance over his shoulder.  “Well my datapad said I was to equip you with whichever weapon I thought you’d succeed with best, but after that display I’m sure you could drop anyone that came within 50 yards of your position.  So how about this: after today you can just tell me what you prefer, and I’ll make sure the requisitions officer gets it to you.  Sound good?”  She rubbed the back of her neck, staring at the ground before nodding.  

Before her mood could sullen further, Garrus was thrusting the assault rifle into her hands and setting himself up beside her with the sniper rifle.  “How about some friendly competition, Jane?  Best shot buys the other one lunch.”  He punctuated his offer by putting a clean shot just off the center mark of his target and smugly smiling at his counterpart.  Shepard tested the weightiness of the weapon she held, reminding her body just how it needed to be wielded.  Hefting the gun to her shoulder and lining up her sights, she decided to agree to his offer.  “I’ll take that.  I didn’t want to spend money today, anyway.” She smirked and pulled the trigger.  *POP POP POP* 

A cluster of rounds flew into the bullseye of her new target articulating just how unlikely it would be that she’d be buying her own lunch today.  If being a good shot gave her a full stomach, she could live with some guilt permeating through her day.  She’d lived two years with it, anyway.

Garrus went toe-to-toe with Shepard, neither clearly pulling ahead of the other.  Both were expert marksmen with a healthy competitive spirit, and it came down to one shot.

“Alright.  The ultimate test that no one can actually pass: a blindfolded shot.  Closest the the target wins all the marbles. Deal?” Garrus grabbed a scrap piece of cloth from the bench and tossed it to Shepard.  Looking down at the material, she suddenly began to worry about her free lunch.  However, she was not one to back down from an insurmountable challenge so she laid her gun down and steadied herself against the bench.  She gingerly tied the blindfold around her head so as not to stick any of her long eyelashes in  awkward angles.  Keeping the gun pointed down range as she lifted it to the proper position within her grasp, she tried to envision where the target had been for the last few hours of this friendly endeavour.  She lifted the gun to what felt like the right height and angle and let her breath leave her lungs.  She squeezed the trigger and felt the kick of the gun.  She replaced it on the bench and removed the covering from her eyes.  In the left shoulder of the target was a small hole telling the tale of her victorious effort.  

Passing over the blindfold to a very perturbed Garrus, Shepard crossed her arms and gave him her best shit-eating grin.  “Ok, Vakarian.  I dare you to even hit the target.  Might as well toss me your credit chit because you’re buying lunch.” He grumbled something unintelligible as he readied himself and tied the cloth around his eyes.  He let out an irritated sigh as he picked up his sniper rifle all while Shepard reveled in his irritation at her success.  He aligned his aim to the best of his hindered abilities, and pulled the trigger.  

“DAMMIT!” 

Garrus ripped the blindfold off of his face.  “I beat you?!”

“No, but I wanted you to think so!” Shepard replied, practically crying through her intense laughter.  

An annoyed trill permeated the room as he began packing the guns away to be cleaned later.  Shepard casually leaned against the table and gave him a firm pat on the arm.  “Oh, come on.  Quit pouting.  The temptation was too strong.  Now let’s pack up and get out of here.  I’ll even let you choose where we eat.” 

Garrus snapped the latches closed on the cases and stored them back in his locker.  He picked the blindfold up off of the bench and stared at it questioningly, studying it with a concerned look in his eyes.

“Something wrong, Garrus?”

He tossed the item into the trash can and made his way towards the door.  “That’s not mine.  I have no idea how it got here, but something tells me it was used for something dirty.”  He turned to look at her.  “Apparently someone’s gun was getting polished,” he sneered as he held the door open for her with a smirk proudly displayed  on his face.

Shepard let out a boisterous laugh.  She hoped she hadn’t just been wearing someone’s prop for their illicit C-SEC fun time but couldn’t help but chuckle at the situation.  Just then, her stomach made known its need for sustenance, so Garrus led her back out of the station.  


	7. Just Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard and Garrus grab lunch, and Shepard gets scolded when she gets home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter chapter, but I'm trying to get back to posting regularly! 
> 
> Sorry for the multi-month hiatus. I hope you enjoy this shorter chapter. If you'd like an explanation on why I let this sit for so long, I provided a veeerry long one at the end of the chapter.

Shepard usually wasn’t one for small talk, but she enjoyed listening to Garrus carry on about his days in the military and old C-SEC cases in between bites of his lunch.  She sat across from him in their booth happily munching on the burger and fries she had ordered, taking sips of soda and nodding to let him know she was still listening. He had a way of making people want to listen.  She noticed it when he was around other officers even though most of them were older than he. Sure, he was driven by an insatiable desire for justice that sometimes hurt more than helped, much like the first time Shepard had interacted with him, but his heart was in the right place. 

“Are you ok, Shepard?”

His question pulled her out of her thoughts, and she felt her face flush.  She had been staring. 

“Oh!  Yeah. I’m fine. Just listening and thinking, which isn’t the best combination obviously,” she nervously replied, wiping her hands on her pants to rid them of the sweat they had suddenly acquired.  

He waved his hand dismissively as he took another bite.  “Don’t worry about it. In our lines of work, multitasking is required.  How’s your burger? Some of the humans in C-SEC really like this place, so I was hoping you’d like it, too.”

She took a big bite of the juicy meat and sighed.  Truthfully, it might be the best burger she’s found on the Citadel thus far.  Her eyes rolled back, and she gave him a thumbs-up as she chewed and swallowed.  He smiled and nodded in response, returning to his own meal. He was considerably further behind her in completing his meal since he had gotten caught up in storytelling. 

Taking a swig of the bubbly brown liquid to clear her mouth of any remaining debris, she pondered the possibility of offering him a small piece of her past since he so readily offered her some of his.  This joint project they were working on was going to require them to have open communication and trust, and completely closing herself off to him didn’t sound like the best of ideas. Then again, her head was echoing all the reasons she had worked so hard to keep her past quiet for so long.   

Shepard swallowed the last bite of her burger and wiped her hands on the dirtied napkin. “You know, I did a military stint, too.” 

Garrus paused mid-bite and shot her a confused look. “Really? I’m surprised I didn’t pick up on that. Makes sense, though. You being a paramedic, I can see how military medicine could’ve been intriguing. New problems to solve every day. What ship were you stationed on?”

“Nothing exciting, if that’s what you’re asking,” she waved her hand dismissively. She was dancing a dangerous line with this conversation, but she kept going. “After shore leave one time, I decided I was done and didn’t sign back on for another tour. Been on the Citadel ever since. Explains why I’m such a good shot though, right? I have some real training under my belt, not just some pointers from a rookie cop.”

Garrus took her jab in stride. “Rookie cop? Is someone else giving you lessons on the side? Because you surely aren’t referring to me,” he said gesturing to himself proudly. 

Shepard really liked talking to this guy. He was so easy to talk to, and he made her feel a kind of easiness she hadn’t felt since, well…

“Are you ready to head back to the precinct for the last part of today’s training? The rest won’t take much more time.”

She snapped out of her thoughts, caught up in the past again. “Sure! Maybe I can con you into another bet and get my lunch paid for again tomorrow,” she quipped as she stood to leave. 

“Unlikely, Shepard, but you can certainly try,” he jeered. 

**Later that night**

“You told him WHAT?” Liara yelled over the sound of Shepard’s groans. She deserved this berating. She was getting careless around Garrus.

“I didn’t tell him when I served, where I served, or when or why I left. I don’t think it’s as bad as you’re making it out to be.”

Liara sighed and hid her face in her hands. “Shepard. The Alliance can only keep the seals on your files so tight. From what you’ve told me, Garrus is a smart man. If he decides to go poking around, it won’t be that hard to put everything together. For all we know, there are still vids somewhere on the extranet from the ground assault. You’re not exactly inconspicuous with that hair of yours,” she said with a wave in Shepard’s direction. “I just don’t understand. What compelled you to tell him in the first place? You don’t owe him your life’s story nor is it necessary for a professional relationship. Unless, of course, oh Shepard!”

Shepard was already going red in the face and hiding her shame in the pillow cushions of the couch, letting out a muffled wail. 

“Of all the people you could develop some sort of petty crush on right now, you choose a cop? With access to an almost unlimited data base?” Liara chastised as she collapsed on the couch beside her friend. 

Shepard lifted her head to rest it on Liara’s shoulder. “He was kind of a dick at first, but I don’t know. He has a big heart and, oh god. What am I saying? I know it’s stupid. I’m trying to fade into obscurity, and I’m actively sabotaging myself,” she said, letting out a sigh. “Maybe in a different life it could work, but not this one. We couldn’t have a relationship without me telling him, and once he found out he would never see me the same way. It’s useless.” 

Liara lifted her hand and began delicately petting Shepard’s hair to try and comfort her frustrated friend. “I know, Shepard, and I’m sorry. He seems like a good man, but some things just aren’t meant to be.”

Releasing a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, Shepard stood up and began pacing around the room. “Well then I need to see him in a more ‘friendly’ way, but how do I do that? It’s usually just the two of us.”

Shifting on the couch, Liara pressed a finger to her lips in thought. Truthfully, there weren’t many options. Suddenly lifting her gaze to meet Shepard’s she exclaimed, “We could invite him over for dinner with the team! We’re all friends, even family, after all. Maybe that could help you.”

Frozen in the middle of her pacing, Shepard began to slowly nod. “That might work, actually. Once all the training is done, I could invite him over as a thank you and a ‘get to know you’ with the rest of the team. Why do you always have the good ideas, and I’m stuck here with my feet in my mouth and my head in my ass?”

Liara grimaced. “That is an unpleasant mental image, Shepard, and I’d appreciate you not repeating it. Ever again,” she replied as she made her way to her room for the evening.

“Oh come on! I didn’t mean at the same time!”

“Regardless, find out what he would want for dinner since I’ll likely have to make something just for him.”

“Yeah yeah ok. I can do that,” Shepard said with a wave of her hand as she closed her bedroom door, ready for a good night's sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So...sorry I've been gone for so long. I'm currently in my last year at university, and the end of last semester hit me like a train, then the holidays rolled around (I put 3,000 miles on my car in the month of December). In January, ONE day before I was supposed to start my spring semester, my mother (who has helped me pay for school since my dad passed away almost two years ago) told me she was not, in fact, helping me pay for school at all. So I have spent every spare moment in January, February, and most of March running around my campus getting documentation submitted about my situation so I could somehow pay for classes while working my ass off to try and pay the bills. It's been extremely trying, and I've had no motivation to write when my education and personal life were in such a state of jeopardy. Things are better now, and I've almost gotten everything taken care of. It's just been hard, and I'm sorry I let this go for so long. I may not be able to post weekly, because as of now, I haven't written ahead. However, I promise to write every week, so chapters will be coming your way, even if it's slowly. Thank you for your support and taking the time to read. Have an AMAZING week!


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